How To Be An Interview Rockstar And Leave A Great Impression

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on November 6, 2018. It has been updated with 2022/23  information and tips below. 

If you’ve reached a point in your career where you’re applying to a prestigious MBA program, you’ve likely been through several job interviews before.

You know the interview rules, mostly: show up a bit early, shine your shoes, and bring extra copies of your CV.

Of course, MBA interviews are different from job interviews, so your previous interview experience doesn’t always calm your nerves or build confidence. 

An MBA interview can present new challenges and factors to consider, so knowing how to handle an MBA interview with expertise and skill requires different preparation and thinking than you may be used to.

After all, when you applied for a job, you probably hadn’t submitted essays, letters of recommendation, and test scores that the interviewer could refer to and discuss.

Therefore, preparing for and succeeding during an MBA interview is going to take some focus and determination—but acing this part of your MBA application process is well within reach.

Read on to discover how you, too, can be an interview rockstar, answer questions with confidence, ask questions with clarity, and leave a great impression that ultimately leads you to an acceptance letter.

 

What are the MBA interviewers looking for?

As you might’ve read in the Everything You Need to Know About The MBA Application Process guide, interviewers are interested in learning four distinct things during the interview process:

• Your interest in their program
• If you are as good in real life as you are on paper
• Your ability to communicate clearly and connect well with others
• If your values align with those of the school (or your “fit”)

The interview is their chance to connect and compare what they know about you so far, including your essays, letters of recommendation, and test results. 

Often interviewers are alumni themselves or part of the admissions committee. Their job is to ensure that they find qualified, high-potential MBA candidates who fit the program and community and who will become productive alumni post-graduation.

 

What are the different MBA interview formats?

Depending upon the school’s location, values, and interview process, MBA interview formats can vary. Knowing the interview format will help you prepare, whether it’s a group, individual or online interview.

Group: At Wharton and more collaborative programs, you’ll find yourself sitting alongside five to ten other candidates as part of a group interview. This group setting can show how you interact in teams, navigate conversations and adapt to unforeseen challenges. In these types of interviews, the way you act is given much more weight than answers to questions like, “Why did you apply here?” This is the least common interview type overall. 

Individual: You may find yourself meeting one-on-one or with a small group of alumni or representatives from the admissions committee. At London Business School, expect a two-hour long interview complete with a case study and behavioral questions. Though specific questions asked and duration vary, this is the most common interview type. 

 

How do I prepare for my MBA interview?

Equally important to your interview performance is what comes long before you ever shake hands or make that Skype call for the interview itself.

Researching and preparing for the interview process will help you gather answers to questions like:

• What format does this MBA interview use: group, individual or video?
• What questions will they ask?
• How do my own values and experience fit with the program?
• What might be seen as a weakness or source of concern in my application or essays?
• Who am I meeting—and what’s their background? What do we have in common?
• How can I ask great questions after the interview?
• What’s my post-interview plan?

 

Research the program

By the time you interview, you should know the program inside and out, including the school’s values, specific courses you want to take, clubs you’ll join, and, specifically, how you’ll add to the community.

Ask yourself: what parts of the program will be most beneficial to your long-term goals—and how will you contribute to the program both as a student and as an alumnus/alumna?

As you research, don’t hesitate to contact alumni who work in your company or live locally. Heavily consider a valuable campus visit; this will give you a better feel for the campus culture and give you more context to draw from during your interview.

Don’t miss out on helpful admissions blogs, like Harvard’s MBA Voices or Michigan Ross’ MBA Admissions Blog. You can hear from admissions committee members and current students who offer helpful insider knowledge.

 

Rehearse your MBA interview answers

Rehearsing and practicing your answers to interview questions not only helps cure the interview jitters but also allows you to practice different ways of answering questions.

Luckily, there’s a wealth of information available on the internet when it comes to questions programs are likely to ask, so you should know ahead of time approximately what to expect. 

Check out this helpful guide from Clear Admit that lists, by year, round, and program, the interview questions you’re likely to answer.

Practice with a friend or colleague. Get into character. Make the scenario as realistic as possible. Ask them to throw in a few unexpected questions, push back on an answer or two and bring up a concern with your essay or career. The more realistic and challenging your practice is, the more likely you’ll succeed in the interview itself.

Practicing one-on-one with an MBA interview expert is one of the most powerful and worthwhile tools in your MBA application toolkit because it allows you to practice with someone you’re not familiar with and who knows a great deal about the program you’re applying to.

Working with an MBA interview expert is your best chance for success. They have the knowledge and the experience and know exactly which strategy you need to apply to your specific school. 

The Ellin Lolis team equips MBA applicants with the exact interview know-how so, when the interview comes they’re confident, professional, and leave a lasting impression. 

That’s the expertise we brought when helping our client Laissa gain admission to London Business School. 

According to her, “Ellin helped me to prepare for the interview for London Business School. I was really impressed with how hands-on and helpful she is, providing me with insider, updated and complete information to succeed in the interview. The fact that she closely monitors her students is certainly her great advantage compared to other renowned consultants in the market. I strongly recommend Ellin Lolis Consulting to everyone who wants to be accepted into a top Business School.”

 

Know your background

One of the most important elements of an MBA interview is checking for consistency. 

For example, let’s imagine you wrote about your passion for continuing your career in the healthcare industry in your essays, yet in your interview, decide to talk about your dream of launching an eSports startup. You can almost hear the cartoon brakes screeching! 

As such, make sure you spend time going back through your application to freshen up on the topics you presented in your application. 

Then, spend time giving a verbal walkthrough of your CV during practice sessions. Know specific data and stats about your biggest accomplishments so you can show your achievements with concrete evidence. 

Understand how your experience, profile, community service, and application fit with the program—and think about ways in which you bring something unique to the community. CV run-throughs are common MBA interview questions, so practicing this in advance can ensure you don’t get caught up on a detail you forgot you added. 

While practicing, also keep in mind that your interview is an opportunity to sell yourself, but it’s also an opportunity to contradict yourself. It may sound simple, but stay consistent with your personal brand. If your essay said you’d like to become a partner at BCG, it’s best not to suggest in the interview your real goal is to start the Uber for jet skis. Consistency counts!

If you’re a non-native English speaker, spend time on the days leading up to your interview speaking in English. Exercise the part of your brain that controls language so that, when it’s time for the interview, you won’t be searching for words.

We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview. 

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from all the top programs, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”

The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop to interview success. Click to join!

How can I succeed in my MBA interview?

On the day of your interview, be well-rested, well-prepared, and well-researched. 

Be ready to impress.

Whether your interview is in-person or online, make sure you’re well-groomed, your clothes fit well, and are clean and wrinkle-free. It’s not a fashion show, but looking polished and put together does leave an impression. If you aren’t sure what to wear, we suggest dressing as you would for a job interview or an important meeting. As The Balance Careers suggests, when in doubt, dress up.

 

What to expect from your MBA Interview

The interview will often begin with a walkthrough of your CV and experience or a few questions to understand more about your career and background. Be sure to give a chronological, clear, and consistent account of your experience, especially given the interviewer has already seen your essays and CV.

Storytelling is a helpful tool to use during an interview, and you can apply many of the strategies covered in the blog post, How to Use Storytelling to Write Standout MBA Essays, to your interview.

Your verbal and nonverbal behavior will be on display during the interview but don’t try to impress the interviewer with lofty language and vague-sounding statements. Try to remain conversational and personable using language that is clear, concise, and compelling. 

You should also consider what your nonverbal behavior is saying. Do you come across as animated and engaged—or do you seem bored and shy? Are you using the proper tone, hand gestures, and volume to present your best self?

Rely on your practice and research. Answer questions based on what you know about your own fit for the program, the program’s values, and, most of all, answer truthfully; it doesn’t take long with a Google search or a phone call to catch a lie.

Let’s face it: mistakes during an interview can happen, but it doesn’t need to be a critical error. It’s appropriate to notice your mistake, but don’t dwell on it. Correct your statement if possible, but don’t let one slip up affect the rest of your answers.

 

What questions should I ask the interviewer?

Some MBA interviewees may think that the interview is over after the interviewer has asked you their questions—but that’s far from the truth! In fact, this might be one of the most important parts of the interview process.

After you’ve answered the questions, the interviewer will most likely ask: “What questions do you have for me?”

This isn’t a time to say “thanks, none come to mind!” This is your time to create a connection, show your knowledge of the program, get great advice, understand the interviewer’s career and impress them as a curious and thoughtful candidate.

When considering interview questions to ask, keep this rule in mind: if your question can be answered by a Google search or it’s not critical to your interest in the program, don’t ask it. Look for questions that are open-ended and will lead to more than a “yes” or “no” answer.

Furthermore, avoid asking direct personal questions. Though you might be interested to know your interviewer’s GMAT score or post-MBA salary, he or she may not feel comfortable sharing this type of information. As such, avoid any personal questions that might turn the tone of your conversation sour, right at the moment you were so close to nailing your interview.

Poor questions to ask might be:

• “Do you know how much rent costs for near-campus housing?”
• “Are there any volleyball clubs at Yale?”
• “Would you agree that Stanford is a great university?”
• “What was your GMAT score?”
• “Why did you decide to work at MIT Sloan (adcom)?”

Good questions to ask might be:

• “I understand that you joined Acme Tech Startup after Stanford. What did you gain from your Stanford MBA that most helped you succeed at Acme?”
• “If you could go back in time and redo your MBA, what would you do differently—and how would that impact the advice you’d give me about HBS?”
• “I noticed you also used your INSEAD MBA to change from investment banking to private equity. Which classes and initiatives were most helpful for you to make this career shift?”
• “I saw on LinkedIn that you’re the head of the alumni group for Chicago Booth in Singapore. How does the group keep alumni connected after returning from their MBAs?”

Don’t miss this opportunity to build rapport with the interviewer. Ask questions about your shared goals, interests, or paths. If you have a goal similar to their path, ask for advice.

Go into your post-interview question-asking with approximately 3-4 possible questions in mind. Don’t be afraid to make it conversational, especially if another question organically presents itself!

Once the interview wraps up, get the interviewer’s contact information if you don’t have it already—because it’s critical for the post-interview impression.

 

How do you leave a great impression after the MBA interview?

Your impression creation still isn’t finished! What you do after the interview can further shape the interviewers’ impression of you.

Within 12 hours of the interview, send a thoughtful email to your interviewers. Interviewers are usually required to submit interview reports within 24 hours of the interview, so if you miss your window, your note will not be considered. 

In the note itself, thank them for their time, reinforce any positive points you agreed upon or had in common. Plus, it offers the chance for them to contact you should any additional questions come up. 

Furthermore, if there were any points you failed to mention in the interview or answers you feel need a little more context, feel free to briefly cover these in your thank you email. The thank-you email is not designed to be an interview essay (though some schools, like MIT and HBS, do require this). 

You can close your message with a brief statement that expresses your enthusiasm for the program and your interest in becoming a valuable member of the program.

After sending the message, you may also choose to find the interviewers on LinkedIn. Send them a connection request because they will see your connections, any articles you’ve published, your recommendations, and perhaps even find more points of commonality with you.

While you may have the thought of really leaving an impression by sending a gift as a thank you to your interviewers, you’ll more likely be perceived as trying to influence their decision or, bluntly, engaging in bribery. A polite thank you email and a LinkedIn request are enough—and ethical!

 

Effectively Tell your Story During your Interview

One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA interviews is that candidates fail to tell compelling, well-constructed stories about their profiles while also nailing the basics. 

Striking this balance between sharing STAR-format examples that show off your background while also presenting strong answers to questions like “Why do you want an MBA?” is a challenging task that requires significant thought and preparation. 

Because of this, it’s no surprise that, on average, 50% of interviewed applicants walk away without an offer. 

This is why our interview preparation process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting is known as the best in the industry. We offer customized 1:1 support that ensures you’re able to turn your application’s strengths into compelling answers that show fit and sell your profile in any type of interview. 

Not only can you take advantage of our development process through multiple sessions – you can also benefit from a single session! If your budget is tight, our interview experts can focus your session on a single aspect of the preparation process, from workshopping your answers to providing mock interviews. 

Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert. Hire our interview services here. VIP packages that allow you to work directly with Ellin sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!